


Lift me up

by pixiedurango



Series: The Malika Cadash Files [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Feelings, Feels, Fluff, Love, Short & Sweet, True Love, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4622829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixiedurango/pseuds/pixiedurango
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a sweet and fluffy little thing about some spare time and how Malika Cadash uses it to do some sweet things.<br/>And one of the rare moments when she allows Blackwall to actually lift her up from the ground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lift me up

Blackwall got summoned by some unusual clamor echoing from the yards. He stepped outside his workshop and while cleaning his hands from some varnishing works with an old cloth, he was stepping closer to where the sounds came from.

He had already recognized a well known voice within the cacophony of cheering, laughter, yelling and screaming. Malika had gathered a bunch of refugee kids and orphans around her and with every moment there seemed to emerge more. Swirling around the Inquisitor, an excited swarm of little bodies, happy that someone took the time to watch after them and to spend some time with them. Some of them were already almost as tall as she was. A chunky Qunari boy was more than head and shoulders above her. A slender Elfen redhead was also several inches taller than the dwarven Inquisitor. But no matter how tall or small they all looked up to her. Some literally. Some really did.

But the most amazing thing all over the place was her. Malika Cadash smiled. Broad. And her laughter was loud and hearty like he had never heard it before. In fact he never had heard any laughter from her, as far as he remembered. She was always so quiet. So serious. Worried while literally carrying all the weight of her task on her shoulders.

He stepped closer and watching the scene and the smile on the face of his lady made him smile, too. Though all the children gave him a painful itch into his consciousness, making him think of things he urged to forget but just could not. But he forced himself to come back into the very moment to keep on watching what was going on at Skyholds keep. Pushing back memories of children he had never known but had spelled doom over their destiny by giving orders he never should have given. He was already about turning away. Fleeing back into his workshop. Resuming his woodwork or finding a bottle, no matter how early the day it was. But he felt it would be worse to flee now.

Even if it hurt to stay here. Seeing her being happy and spreading happiness amongst the most innocent victims of the war they were fighting now. It would hurt more to run away from it now. So he stayed and watched.

Someone had brought a ball and they began to play some „catch me” game and Malika volunteered to be the prey for the whole bunch of children who immediately teamed up and started a hunt for the surprisingly swift and fast dwarf. They tried to hit her with the ball but when ever they threw it at her, she was able to duck or to roll away.

She was taking this innocent game with a bunch of kids as serious as she was when facing a dragon. And he admired her a lot for that.

Though she was already busy protecting herself, she had spotted him standing in the shadow of a tree, watching the game.

„Maybe the mighty Warden will team up with you to catch me…” she was shouting with a wild and already a bit breathless laughter while she waved into his direction.

And suddenly a yelling bunch of excited kids from every race and age was around him, grabbing his hands and pulling him in.

„Yes, Warden Blackwall, help us, please.”

„Help us catch the Inquisitor, Warden Blackwall.”

„We cannot catch her without you, Warden Blackwall!”

All this enthusiasm and laughter and tiny merry voices made him finally push away his worries and guilt about other - about dead - children for a moment and he was able to smile and even be at ease more than usual.

Maybe caring for the living would ease his guilt over the death a bit.

And he grabbed the ball and kept on running after Malika, who had already brought some distance between them.

The laughing and cheering children swarmed around and he tried to find a way to let the kids win without taking the credits from them.

So he waved over to the chunky Qunari boy and the skinny but fast Elven girl with the flaming red hair and signaled them to run up to Malika from two sides so they would cut her way. A small but eager Ferelden-looking boy he set to approach her directly from the back and a very tiny dwarf girl got sign to run around her in a circle to face her from the front. The others just ran around and already celebrated and cheered and there was laughter and joy at Skyhold louder than usual.

Blackwall closed up to her still holding the ball, then he whistled after the Ferelden boy to gain his attention and tossed it over to him. The boy caught the ball and looked desperately how to hit Malika from where he was.

The little Qunari eagerly waved his arms because he had realized that Malika would probably come his way on her attempt to escape and the Fereldener passed over to him.

But in his eagerness he put a bit too much effort into his shot and the ball – a tight rolled bundle from old cloth tied up with some battered rope – flew far over their heads and ended up stuck on a roof that covered one of the staircase-entrances to the kitchens. Out of reach for anyone and suddenly the merry game seemed to be over and there was murmurs of disappointment and mutters of sadness all in a sudden.

The little Fereldener was devastated. Almost crying he tried to explain that it was not on purpose and it was not his fault and please that nobody would tell his father…

Malika went over to him and put one arm around his shoulder. Soothing him and telling him it was not his fault, praising the strength of his arm and the power of his toss.

Awkwardly the boy rubbed the tears from his eyes with the dirty sleeve of his tunic.

The Inquisitor looked around until her eyes found Blackwalls.

He stepped closer and and put a hand on the boys shoulder. The little one streched his back and inhaled as deep as he could to expanded his small chest as wide as possible.

„Can you lift me up there, Blackwall?”

„My lady?” He was utterly surprised. She hated nothing more than being lifted up from the ground by anybody, even by him. So he had to ask back in a low voice to assure himself, he got her right.

„I want to get them their ball back. Look how much effort they put into it. It shall not be doomed to rot up there out of reach for them. They have so little.”

„Are you sure, Malika?”

She smiled. „I would not have asked. None of us would be able to climb up there alone and since I can’t handle to lift you up, it’s a logical decision.”

„I can lift one of the kids up, if you’d prefer that.”

„I don’t want risk them being harmed by tripping and falling down. I can handle myself save and secure and so I’ll do it.” she was stubborn and determined as always when she had made a decision.

It must have been the first time ever he was allowed to grab her by her waist to lift her from the ground without her complaining and arguing with him.

He lifted her up and let her sit on his shoulders for a moment. She managed to stay up from there until she stood while he got a safe hold on her ankles. From there she could manage to get a grip at the roofs’ edge and she pulled herself up until she was finally on top of the roof.

The cheering and laughing of the excited children flared up again when Malika finally grabbed the ball and tossed it down to them.

„That’s all for today, kids.” she announced with a loud and determined voice, still standing on the rooftop. „We will meet tomorrow. I have business to attend now with Warden Blackwall.” And with this, she let herself down until she hung from the edge and when she let off and fell, Blackwall caught her and let her softly down to the ground.

He smiled and raised a brow. „Business?”

She just grinned back. „Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was a dice fic with 4 story dices


End file.
